{"id":118338,"date":"2015-03-05T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2015-03-05T16:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=118338"},"modified":"2017-03-29T08:51:02","modified_gmt":"2017-03-29T15:51:02","slug":"ultimate-guide-fixing-swimmers-posture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ultimate-guide-fixing-swimmers-posture\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide To Fixing Swimmers Posture"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr. G. John Mullen<\/i><\/p>\n

SANTA CLARA – Reducing drag in the pool is paramount for swimming\u00a0improvement, as drag is the biggest deterrent of swimming speed. However, long periods of poor posture\u00a0out of the water will force any swimmer into poor posturing in the pool, especially during fatigue. If you take a look at a group of swimmers, you’ll certainly see many hunched over with rounded shoulders in the stereotyped “swimmers posture.” This posture has the cervical spine slightly extended, the upper thoracic spine in flexion, the lower thoracic straight, the lumber straight (flexed) and the pelvis tilted backwards. Not only does this poor posturing increase the risk of swimmer’s shoulder<\/a>, but impairs body alignment and increases drag. Whether I’m with a personal trainer, physical therapist<\/a> or entire swim team<\/a>, I’m frequently correcting poor resting posture.<\/p>\n

The normal lumbar spine (lower back) has a slightly extended inward curve, called\u00a0lordosis<\/em>. In individuals with the flat back posture, the pelvis is tilted toward the rear and the lumber has lost this lordosis, causing it to be flat, which is actually a flexed position for this portion of the spine. People with flat back will tend to stand with their hip and knees hyper-extended and their head forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Head<\/strong><\/td>\nForward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cervical Spine<\/strong><\/td>\nSlightly extended<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thoracic Spine<\/strong><\/td>\nIncreased flexion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lumbar Spine<\/strong><\/td>\nFlexed (straight)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pelvis<\/strong><\/td>\nPosterior Tilt (tilted backwards)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Knees<\/strong><\/td>\nHyperextended<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This deviation from ideal spinal alignment is marked by and sometimes called\u00a0posterior pelvic tilt<\/em>. This describes the backwards rotation of the\u00a0superior iliac spine<\/em>\u00a0(ASIS) in relation to the pubic bones of the pelvis. A good visualization of this is thinking of the “top” of the pelvis tilting toward the rear.<\/p>\n

Individuals who display this posture, besides having the appearance of a very flat back, will also show the appearance of a flat buttocks that is tucked under.<\/p>\n

\"swimmer<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of you may think poor posture isn’t a\u00a0big deal and wonder why swimmers should fix this. There are a couple of reasons. Rounded shoulders and a flat back limit overall spinal motion, a necessary motion during swimming. This poor positioning also puts you into a bigger risk for injury, including shoulder impingement and herniated discs.<\/p>\n

How do you go about fixing this? Understanding the tight and weak muscles are key. This ultimate guide for swimmers’ posture breaks down strengthening and soft tissue exercises for fixing your poor posture.<\/p>\n

The most commonly tight muscles are the hip flexors, rectus abdominis, glutes, hamstrings, pectoralis, and suboccipitals. One very important side note about the hamstrings \u2013 they lie between the glutes (pelvis) and the calves. It\u2019s a tug of war between the glutes and the calves, and the hamstring is the rope. It\u2019s not the rope\u2019s fault that it\u2019s stretched out, it\u2019s the pullers. Most people feel like they have tight hamstrings and stretch them. While it is an OK thing to do, most of the time it\u2019s not going to work because tight hamstrings are a symptom, and not a cause. It\u2019s like getting headaches and popping Advil every day, instead of finding the root cause of the headache.<\/p>\n

Overall, we’re going to put some curves back into the spine. I should mention at this point that the pelvis needs to be in a bit of an anterior tilt for optimal performance. That\u2019s how the spine gets its \u2018S\u2019 shape. The problem arises when that ‘S’ is too curved or is more like an \u2018I\u2019 or ‘C.’<\/p>\n

Here is a breakdown to improve your rounded and flat back posture! Time to break down the body parts from the head to the low back.<\/p>\n

Neck<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the most effective postural exercises for combating neck pain is the chin tuck exercise. This exercise not only helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders<\/a> (upper thoracic extensors) but it also stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles.<\/p>\n

The chin tuck exercise can be done numerous times throughout the day, such as while sitting in the car or at the desk at work. The repetition of this exercise throughout the day also helps develop good postural habits. It is especially important to perform this exercise when the neck and shoulder blades first begin to hurt.<\/p>\n

Chin Tucks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Next, create as many double chins as possible at your neck, without lifting your head off the ground. Next, lift your head slightly off the ground, while maintaining the double chins.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"chin<\/a><\/p>\n

SMR Scalenes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The scalenes and suboccipitals are often overactive during poor posture. Perform these self myofascial releases (SMR) and reduce tension in the neck.<\/p>\n

While sitting, gently use your index, middle, and ring finger as you apply pressure to the side of the neck. Make sure you study the position of these muscles first!<\/em><\/p>\n